Cartridge-loading apparatus.



No. 640,496. Patented Jan. 2, I900. G. E. STANDISH.

CARTRIDGE LOADING APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 640,496. Patented Ian. 2, I900.

' G. E. STANDISH.

CARTRIDGE LOADING APPARATUS.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

8 ME. i

(Application filed June 15, 1899. (No Model.)

Patented Jan. 2, 1900..

-G. E. STANDISH. CARTRIDGE LOADING APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Shoet 3.

(No Mo del.)

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NITED STATES ATENT rricn.

GEORGE E. STANDISH, OF SELBY, CALIFORNIA.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,496, dated January2, 1900.

Application filed June 15,1899. Serial No. 720,726. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. STANDISI-L'a citizen of the United States,residing at Selby,

' by the various motions are accurately registered and timed to preventfalse or interfering action between the consecutively-acting parts of amachine; in devices whereby the charges of powder, especially of thenitrogenous class, are carefully and accurately de-' termined; in animproved apparatus for measuring and discharging charges of both powderand shot; in devices to hold the cartridges while being crimped at theends; de-

vices for selecting and placing the wads concentric with thecartridge-shells, and in various other features of a constructive andoperative nature that will be hereinafter fully pointed out andexplained in connection with the drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

The objects of my invention are to attain accuracy of the charges,especially of nitropowders, by adjustments that will insure againstirregular loading and accidents, to promote the celerity of the work,and to provide devices that are certain in their action, durable, andsimple in their manner of operating.

To these ends I construct apparatus as shown in the drawings herewith,forming a part of this specification.

Figure I is a development in a horizontal line of the several devicesforfilling or charging cartridges shown in relation to the cou secutiveoperation of these devices. Fig. II is an elevation, mainly in section,of the measuring devices for charges of powder. Fig. III is a sectionthrough Fig. II on the line so 00. Fig. IV is a vertical section throughthe device for measuring charges of shot.

the tripping-pawls that set, actuate, or adjust the various devices forcharging the car tridges. Fig. XII is a detail in plan, showinga mannerof operating the revoluble member in which the cartridge-shells areheld. Fig. XIII is a diagrammatic drawing indicating a manner ofmounting and operating the devices illustrated in the preceding figures.

Like letters and numerals of reference are applied to correspondingparts throughout the various figures of the drawings.-

Referring first to Fig. XIII, the main ele-' ments or parts of theorganized machine of the usual type for charging cartridges consist of amoving member 1, in which the cartridgeshells are held and presentedsuccessively to the action of the devices to which my improvementsrelate.

2 is a fixed member on which are mounted the charge-measuring devicesfor powder and shot, also the wad-magazines and other stationary parts.-p

3 is a vertically-reciprocatin g stem actuated by a link 4, connectingto a crank 5 in the shaft 6, and is provided at the top with a crosshead or frame 7, to which are attached the several devices that havereciprocating movement.

The crimping-spindle I is driven by a band 8 from a pulley 9,withconnections to the shaft 6, as shown, or in any other suitable manner,preferably from an independent horizontal shaft when there are a numberof machines set in a row.

The member or carriage 1 is driven by a vertical spindle 10 fromthe'shaft 6 by means of the bevel-wheels 11 and the intermittentlyactingpinion 12, (shown in plan in Fig. XIL) that produces movements andperiods of pause corresponding to the pitch or distance between thecartridge-shells 15 in the movable member 1 and to holes in the fixedmember 2, through which the charges pass. The

pinion 12 is provided with a toothed sector 35, that engages thesegmental wheel 37, moves that, and at the same time the member 1, for adistance equal to the pitch between the cartridge-shells or the distancebetween the elements marked from A to I in Fig. I. Then the plain sector38 passes into the curved seats 39 in lower plate 41 of the wheel 37,holding these, and consequently the movable member 1, positively duringthe operations of charging with powder, wads, and shot, also crimping.

In Fig. XIII, which is only to illustrate the principal motions of theparts, I show the shot-charging devices F, one of the rammers for wadsO, and the crimping devices I, all of which will be further explained inconnection with the other figures of the drawings.

Referring now especially to Fig. I of the drawings, this illustratesthedevelopment in elevation of the various charging devices in one plane orin a straight line, so as to be more plainly described, the difierentelements of the machine being marked by letters from A to I on thedrawings in the order of their occurrence in operating. The movablemember 1 and fixed member 2 correspond to 1 and 2 in Fig. XIII, theformer having a series of equidistant sockets 14, in which thecartridge-shells 15 fit loosely and by means of which they are moved inline with the various operating parts A to I, mounted on the members 2and '7.

Referring first to the the element A for measuring and supplying chargesof powder, (shown in section in Fig. II,) it consists of a magazine 16for containing a supply of powder and is provided with a transparentcover 17 at the front, through which the contents can be seen. Thismagazine is held by a nipple 18, screwed into a removable bracket 19,attached to the member 2. The main body 20 of the powder-chargingapparatus containing the valve or cut-ofi slides 21 22 and thecylindrical charger 23 is revolubly mounted in the parts 2 and 19 bymeans of the nipples 24 at the top and 25 at the bottom, so as to beturned about its axis by means of a pinion 27 on the oscillating rod 28,that meshes into teeth formed at 29 on the member 20, as seen in Fig.II. This rotative movement of the member 20 and its connected parts isto cause or prevent, as may be required, engagement of the reciprocatingbar 30 with the extensions 32 33 of the changing-slides 21 22. The bar30 is attached to the member 7, as seen in Fig. XIII, and on itsdownward stroke the oblique face at comes first in contact with the stem32, pushing back the slide 21 and cutting off communication with themagazine 16. Then continuing, the face at 40 comes in contact with thestem 33, pushing back the slide 22, opening communication with thepassage 42, so the powder in the charger 23 will descend into the shell15. On the upward movement of the bar 30 it first releases the slide 22,which by action of the spring 43 is thrown back, closing the passage 42,and next releases the slide 21, which is by the spring 44 thrown back tothe position seen in Fig. II, opening communication with the magazine16, permitting the charger 23 to be again filled and ready for the nextshell.

The powder measuring device just described stands normally out ofcontact or out of line with the reciprocating bar 30, as seen in Fig.III, and is turned so the stems 32 will stand in the dotted line a bythe pinion 27 on the oscillating stem 28 in the following manner:Referring to Figs. I and XIII, as the member 1, containing the shells15, moves along the base of the shell sliding on the fixed member comesin contact with the trip-lever 142 on the stem 28, turning this latterand the charger-chamber 20 to the positionindicated by the dotted line ain Fig. III, so the bar 30 will on its downstroke engage the stems 3233, and thus discharge a charge of powder into the shell 15. When theshell 15 passes the trip-lever 142, that is thrown back by means of acoil-spring 45 ready for the next shell; but if the next socket 14contains no shell the bar 30 will pass the stems 32 33, thecharger-chamber 20 will not be turned, and no powder will be discharged.This manner of operating-that is, of making the action of all thevarious elements from A to H depend upon the presence of a shell in themember 1is an essential feature of my in vention fully carried out ineach case, as future description will explain. The stems 28 turn looselyin the member 2 at the top and at the bottom are stepped in the studs47, set in the base member 48. Each stem is provided with a trip-lever142, fitting loosely on the squared portion thereof, so these stems canbe lifted out from the top after disengaging the coil-springs 45.

Referring now to the chargers 23, 52, 53, and 54 in Figs. II, VII, VIII,and IX, these are cylindrical in form and fit into a carefullyformedsocket in the main body 20. The measuring-chambers 55 are made eitherparallel, as in Figs. II and VII, or of double conoidal form, as inFigs. VIII and IX, the object being to adapt the capacity of thechambers 55 to the class of powder used. Such means of regulation whilesufficiently accurate for the classes of powder are not precise enoughto determine charges as to their quality and strength, especially of theclass known as nitropowders, which to comply with requirements have tobe determined to grains or even fractions of grains. To provide for suchaccurate measurement, I employ movable displacing-plugs 57, that are setoutward and inward by means of screws 58, so as to determine withcomplete accuracy the amount of powder supplied at each charge. The

cross-section of the displacing-plugs 57 can be round, as in Fig. II,for the coarser kinds of powder or angular, as in Figs. VII, VIII, andIX, for the finer kind of powder, the object being to avoid lodgment offine powder on the top of the plug when the chambers 55 are discharged.J am-nuts 59 are provided to hold the screws 58 when set. Thedisplacingplugs 57 can be arranged in various waysfor example, becylindrical with a screwthread; but the construction shown has operatedwell in practice and is used as a proper illustration of the device.

The different chargers are marked with their capacity in drams andgrains and when in use are held in place by a screw 60, so as to beinstantly removed and substituted as changes in the character of thepowder require.

Referring next to the elements B and 0, these are to supply and insertthin wads on the top of the powder, 62 being a magazinetube held in asplit bracket 63 and supplied with wads 64., that descend bygravity asfast as removed at the bottom by the mechanism shown in plan in Fig. VI.On the top of the oscillating stem 28, which corresponds to simi larstems, five in number, is placed a sectorformed driver 65, having a thincurved extension 67 with section a little thinner than the wads 64. Vhenthe stem 28 is in its normal position, turned back by the spring 45,this curved extension 67 is clear of the tier of wads in themagazine-tubes 62 and in the position seen in Fig. VI, and when thetriplever 142 is engaged by an approaching shell, as indicated in Fig.XI, the stem 28 and the driver 65 are suddenly turned, the curvedextension 67 sliding out the bottom wad 64 from the tier and passing itbeneath-a housing-plate 68 through a channel (indicated by dotted linesin Fig. VI) until the wad is brought over the hole 69 and concentricwith a shell 15 below. Then the rammer 70 descends and presses the wad64 down upon the powder.

The elements E and D being to supply a second wad on the powder andanalogous in every respect to B and 0 just described, except beingadapted for thicker wads 72, and as the operating parts are marked withlike numerals description of these elements E and D is not required.

Referring next to the element F for measuring and supplying charges ofshot, the devices employed, so far as they bear like numerals ofreference, are analogous to those in the element Afor powder-charges.There is, however, the difference that the slides 21 22 are, in the caseof shot, liable to catch the pellets and distort or shear the same whenthe holes 73 in the slides pass over the holes 42 and 74 in thecharger-chamber 20. To prevent this, I employ elastic washers 75,preferably made of leather, one above and one below the slide 21, whichpermits entrapped shot to yield and escape.

The elements G and H, to apply the final wad above the shot, correspondto those 0 and B or D and E, as the like numerals of reference indicate.

The final operation performed at I, that of crimping the ends of theshells, is performed by a die 83 on the rotary spindle 77, supported inthe bearings 78 79 and raised by the bracket 80, that comes in contactwith the collar 82, as seen in Fig. XIIL To hold the shells 15 fromturning during the operation of crimping, I. employ a serratedhopper-shaped die 84. (Shown in section in Fig. I and in plan view inFig. X.) The indentures or corrugations are so made as to present aseries of sharp angles or edges against the course of rotation to engageand hold the metallic base of the shells with a resistance in proportionto the pressure applied on the top by the crimping apparatus 83, whichis a wide and useful distinction from embracing-clamps of any kind thatrequire a maximum amount of force applied irrespective of the degree ofdownward pressure on the shell or cartridge.

In this manner it will be seen that uniform devices, the trip-levers14:2 and oscillating stems 28, are employed alike in all the difierentoperations for indication, registry, and placing the wads and that theseoperations are all derived from the base of the shells 15 and do notdepend upon extraneous mechanism. Oonsequently the machinery is alwaysin adjustmentand its action dependent upon the presence of the shellitself; so false movements and waste of ammunition are not possible. Itwill also be seen that this actuating mechanism is of extremesimplicity, duplicate in character, and completely accessible, also canbe instantly removed and replaced, if required.

Having thus explained the nature and objects of my invention, What Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In cartridge-loading apparatus, a moving member carrying thecartridges to be loaded, means to intermittently move and hold the saidmember, devices for receiving and delivering to the cartridges definitequantities of ammunition,rectilinearly-reciprocatin g valves providedwith projections normally out of line with the operating means therefor,means for bringing said projections into line with the operating means,operated by contact with the moving cartridge-shells, and means foroperating the valves by contact with the said projections in succession,for

admitting, cutting off, and discharging the.

measured charges of ammunition, substantially as specified.

2. In cartridge-loadin g apparatus, a moving member carrying thecartridges to be loaded, a submember on which the bases of the shellsslide, devices for receiving and delivering to the cartridges definitequantities of powder and shot, and for placing the wads, rectilinearlyreciprocating valves provided with projections normally out of line withthe operating means therefor, a series of turnin g oscillating stemsfol-determining the operative position of said projections, a series oftripping-pawls connected with said stems, engaged and operated bycontact with the bases of the moving cartridge-shells, andverticallyreciprocating cams for engaging and operating said projectionswhen in line therewith, in succession, whereby the measured charges ofammunition are admitted, cut off, and discharged through the movement ofthe said valves, substantially as specified.

3. In cartridge-loading apparatus, a moving member provided withsuitable seats for containing a series of cartridge-shells to beloaded,a reciprocating cross-head carrying ramming implements for wads,measuring-chambers for ammunition, rectilinearly-reciprocating valvesprovided with projections normally out of line with the means foroperating them, arranged above and below the said measuring-chambers,springs to return said valves, means for bringing said projections intoline with the operating means, operated by contact with the movingcartridge-shells, and oblique-faced bars carried on said reciprocatingcross-head, in the path of said projections when in line, acting as camsto close and open said reciprocating valves in succession, and on thereverse movement to close and open the same in the reverse order,whereby the measuring-chambers are cutoff, emptied and filled insuccession by the movement of the crosshead cooperating with thechamber-turning mechanism, substantially as specified.

4. In cartridge-loading apparatus, charging devices containing chargersfor powder and shot, each of said devices revolubly mounted in fixedbearings by means of hollow nipples at the top and bottom thereof,rectilinearly-reciprocating valves in said devices arranged one abovethe other, provided with projections normally out of line with theoperating means therefor, means for bringing said projections into linewith the operating means, operated by contact with the movingcartridgeshells, a moving support for the cartridge-shells and avertically-reci procatin g cam, operating on said project-ions when inline, in succession, thereby alternately closing and opening thechambers at top and bottom to discharge and fill the same in succession,substantially as specified.

5. In cartridge-loading apparatus, charging devices containing chargersfor powder and shot, each of said devices revolubly mounted in fixedbearings by means of hollow nipples at top and bottom thereof,rectilinearly reciprocating valves in said devices arranged one abovethe other, provided with projections normally out of line with the meansfor operating them, a turning oscillating stem for determining theoperative position of said projections, means connected with said stemsengaged and operated by contact with the bases of the movingcartridge-shells, a moving support for the cartridge-shells and avertically-reciprocating cam for engaging and operating said projectionswhen in line therewith, thereby alternately closing and opening thepassages to and from said chargers, substantially as specified.

6. In cartridge-loading apparatus, arevolubly-mounted charging devicecontaining a transversely-inserted charger, rectilinearlyreciprocatingspring-valves above and below said charger, provided with projectionsnormally out of line with the operating means therefor, a reciprocatingcam for engaging said projections in succession when in line, anoscillating stem in geared connection with the said charging device, amoving support for the cartridge-shells, a trip-lever on said stem forengagement with the bases ofthe moving cartridge-shells, therebybringing the engaging projections on the valves into line with the saidreciprocating cam, operating the valves in succession when a cartridgeis passing, and leaving the valves undisturbed when no cartridge is inplace to be filled, substantially as specified.

7 In cartridge-loading apparatus, arevolubly-mounted charger-holdingmember, removable chargers inserted transversely in said charger-holdingmember, chambers diametrically through said chargers holding measuredcharges of ammunition, and a displacing-plug, set longitudinally in saidchargers, entering said chambers, and adjustable from the outside,whereby minute changes in the capacity of the charger-chambers can bemade, substantially as specified. 1

8. In cartridge-loading apparatus, insertible chargers having transversechambers for measured charges of ammunition, adjustable displacing-plugsset longitudinally in said chargers, entering said chambers, of angularor prismatic section at top, whereby the introduced ammunition will notfind lodgment thereon, substantially as specified.

9. In cartridge-loading apparatus, a sheath to contain a tier of wads,areciprocating rammer, with means for operating the same, apartially-revolvin g vertical stem, with means for turning the same onthe passage of a cartridge-shell, an angularly-moving plate at the topof the stem having a thin curved extension 67 for engagement with thebottom wad of the tier of wads, and a curved guideway to guide the wadon its passage to its seat over the cartridge-shell, substantially asspecified.

10. In cartridge-loading apparatus,a sheath to contain 2. tier of wads,a reciprocating rammer to drive the wads, a partially-revolving verticalstem, a tappet-lever on said stem for turning the same by contact withan advancing cartridge-shell, a sector-shaped pivoted driver 65 having athin curved extension, a member 67 at the top of said stem moving in acurved path and engaging the bottom wad of said tier, a curved way toguide the wad on its passage to its seat over the cartridgeshell, and acover-plate 68 over said guideway, having an aperture 69 for the passage

